Improvement in folding work-tables



B. FAIRCHILD;

Folding Work-Table.

Patented June 22,1875.

Witnssieg: c. 4 QM,

THE GRAPHIC CO.PHOTO LlTH.39 &4-1 PARK PMCLN.

NITED STATES PATENT Orrro.

BENJAMIN FAIROHILD, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FOLDING WORK-TABLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 164,824, dated June:22, 1875; application filed February 1, 1875. a

To all whom it may concern Be it known, that I, BENJAMIN FAIROHILD, ofWashington City, in the County of Washington and District of Columbia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ladies FoldingWork-Table; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan of the under side withthe legs folded. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section, on line a: x, of Fig.2. Fig. at is an edge'view of the jointed brace and hinges, detached.

My invention relates to folding tables, for ladies work-tables or forother uses; and the invention consists of the devices for folding,

' opening, and bracing the legs of the table, as

hereinafter described and as shown in the drawings.

A represents the table-top and B the legs. 0 G are rails, eachconnecting two end legs. The upper ends of the legs are halved, formingthe shoulders a a Ct a, and the halved ends b I) b b projecting abovethe top of the rails. D D are brace-cleats extending across and fastenedon the edge to the lower side of thetable-top a proper distance from theends of the top. And the width of these cleats is made the same as thelength of the halved ends I) of the legs, which are attached to the topof the table by the hinges c screwed to the inside of the ends I) and tothe table-top, so that when the legs are opened the halved ends restagainst the inside of the cleats and the shoulders a of the legs bearagainst the bottom of the cleats, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. EF represent jointed braces connected in the middle by a hinge, cl, andprovided at the ends with hinges cl 6.

A brace of two equal sections, of a length to operate properly whenattached at one end to the table-rail, would necessarily be too short toafford the requisite bracing. strength, because the" length of thesections of such a brace could not be more than about threefourths ofthe width of the rail. But by making the arms of different lengths, abrace of any length may be made to operate and fold together, as shownin Fig. 2 of the drawings, provided the short arm is made the rightlength, which is required to be one-half of the length of the hypotenuseof a rectangular triangle, the two sides of which are equal in length tothe width of the rail to which one end of the brace is attached.

The middle hinge d is made with a shoulder, c, forming a stop to thebrace, so that when the legs are opened out into proper position foruse, the braces are thrown a little beyond a straight line, to preventthem from being sprung back by pressure on the table or against. thelegs, and by the shoulder c are held 1 in that position, bearing theshoulders at of the legs against the bottom of the cleats D,,thusholding the legs firmly in position. And when the legs are to be folded,the braces are sprung outward by a slight pressure of the hand, and arefolded together, as described and shown.

The hinges and braces may be made of malleable cast-iron, costing but asmall sum for each table, and, constructed and adjusted as described,are not in the way of the operator when the table is in use. 7

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a folding table or 7 lap board, a jointed bracehaving a long arm, E, hinged to the cross plate or rail,and a short arm,F, attached to the table-top, the said arms arranged to fold outwardlyand to lie fiat against each other and against the under surface of thetable, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a folding table or lapboard, a jointed bracehaving a long arm, E, and a short arm, F, connected by a hinge, cl,having a stop-shoulder, c, on the outside of the hinge, the lower end ofthe brace attached to the rail 0 and the upper end to the table-top, andthe brace adjusted to fold outwardly from the rail, substantially asdescribed and shown.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention, I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJ. FAIROHILD, Witnesses:

LoUIs BAGGER. WM. BAGGER.

